Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S16 Ep 21: Griff
Episode Date: March 6, 2024We have the absolute delight that is Griff joining us this week. Mum cooked up the food and delivered it like ‘meals on wheels’ round to mine (delicious and I thank you!). Winner of the 2021 ...Rising Star Brit award, Griff shared all her stories from growing up in Hertfordshire, the excellent Chinese food her mum makes, navigating moving into her first home, her love of exploring the world & touring, making her own clothes and show sets, and she admits there’s never a time she isn’t in the mood for a burger! We absolutely love you Griff, thank you for being so gorgeous. Griff’s brand new single Miss Me Too is out now, Vertigo Vol.2 is released on April 5th and she starts her UK & EU tour this weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Hello and welcome to Tovermanners, I'm Jessie Ware and we're in my house tonight.
Lenny's looking very glad.
Am I?
Fabulous.
Yeah, given it was Meals on Wheels today.
Yeah, sorry I was in the studio.
Fine.
You've brought the food.
Yep.
I appreciate you.
That's fine.
And what have you been up to, Mother?
This weekend, I babysat for you.
Oh yeah, thank you.
I watched Gladiators, which
I'd never watched before. You know who his son is? Who? He's Callum from Casualty. He's
one of the nurses in Casualty. Who? Barney. He's an actor? He's an actor. He's in Casualty
at the moment. And I thought I'd know him. And then he was on Next in Casualty. It was
really weird, actually. We're loving gladiators in our house.
Gosh, but I mean, they do push people over.
It's quite brutal.
The gladiators.
Can you feel the power of the gladiators?
Yeah.
I loved that you thought for my son's fifth birthday
that I could just ask Giant or Legend or Nitro.
We used to have one that lived down the road.
Yeah, but Mum, like, I'm not just going to... When you were little, he was at Brixton Fire Station. giant or legend or nitro we used to we used to have one that lived down the road yeah but mom
like i'm not just when you were little he was at brixton fire station saracen the firefighter in
brixton didn't you want to see him help get a cat out of a tree no he rescued a to a dog that was
brutalized on a balcony in brixton he had to go up his had to go up his ladder the dog was killed by the other dog
they were fighting
pit bulls or something
I was horrified but
quite delighted when Saracen turned up
yeah I'd forgotten that
yeah well I'm not getting
any of the gladiators for my son's
fifth birthday even though he would like it
I think it may be a push
so when you
hear this I will have already been at the Brits
and somebody that we've got on tonight
did one of the most brilliant
performances at the Brits
I think it was 2021
she was the sound of
yes she won the Rising Star Award
and she did Black Hole
and she was so fantastic
it was this really weird Brits
where we were all really separated
and we all had to wear like masks.
Oh, it's COVID Brits.
And Harry Styles gave me a very sweet wave from the other table.
I couldn't go and launch myself on him.
It was very sad.
And Griff did this brilliant performance.
I was up for a couple and it was just a weird one
where we tried to make the best of a kind of COVID situation.
But I remember Griff's performance being brilliant.
We've got her on.
She has toured all over the world
with the biggest stars.
She is incredibly stylish.
She's toured with Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa.
Taylor Swift is obsessed with her.
Griff's having a really good time, I think.
Yeah. I've been terrified because she's got a nut allergy and my kids love nuts. So I've been
frantically cleaning. It did not touch a nut in my kitchen because I've read every single
ingredients that I could possibly do. So I was worried about whether there was some peanut oil
in the sponge fingers.
Do you want to know something?
And this is going to sound incredibly...
What?
Anyone that follows on Instagram, Housewives of Clapton,
this would go on there.
My friend brought over a new flavour of Torres crisps.
A new flavour?
Do you know the Torres crisps?
Yeah, there's truffle.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Pickle flavour?
No.
Well, I suppose it's like salt and vinegar.
It'll be like salt and vinegar.
No, no, no.
Does it work?
Just so you know, Torres, I'm not sure.
They're five quid a packet.
It's like a burger gherkin.
What do you think?
Not bad, but it's slightly sweet.
I mean, I'm going in in for more but just to get a
second a little bit monster month it's a it's not as good as a walker's prawn cocktail that's all
i'm saying should i tell you what's on the menu what's on the menu what's on the menu well i've
made what is said to be on the new york times app yeah their most popular dish. It's called Marry Me Chicken.
I've been looking at that one for ages.
Yeah. Let's hope it's alright.
It's not a curry, even though
it looks like a curry. Yeah, it's not a curry.
It's just the tomato
and cream.
A lot of cream. Good thing I'm not
singing an opera tonight.
It is a good job. So I've made that.
We've done cavolo nero the way you do it beautifully.
I've done my onion rice, because we haven't had that for a long time.
Classic, yeah.
And I've done a tiramisu.
Oh, that'll keep us up, won't it?
Oh, it might do.
I've put couloir in the biscuits, because that's a coffee liqueur.
Oh, so you haven't actually put coffee in?
Yeah, I've put coffee in? Yeah, I put coffee in.
Oh, cool.
Well, well.
Okay.
Maybe I shouldn't have.
I'm not going to watch a bottle set tonight.
No, maybe.
Griff, coming up on Table Money.
Cheers, ladies.
Cheers to happiness.
Cheers.
And having you in our kitchen
And it's Greek wine so yamas
Yamas
There you go
You're not Greek though
You're half Chinese and half Jamaican
Yeah correct
So let's talk about food
Let's go straight into it
Alright let's do it
Yeah mine's Chinese
Dad's Jamaican
Where did you grow up?
In a very not very exotic place
Hertfordshire
Kings Langley.
Happy childhood?
Jessie, that's a very direct question.
I don't know, I was talking about food, I was thinking about food.
Yeah, it was a chaotic childhood, I'd say chaotic.
Where did your parents meet?
They met in college.
So they, oh right, so college.
Mum came over when she was kind of I think late teens
went to college in South London and then met my dad and what was she studying I don't know I think
they were doing some kind of like b-tech accountancy or IT or something something
is she very clever your mum yeah she's very street smart she's got a lot of common sense yeah
so who was around the dinner table in Hertfordshire?
In Hertfordshire.
So I'm the youngest of three.
So we're two older brothers.
You really had an affinity with my young son
that just came in and did a kind of dance and fell to the floor.
Yeah, no, I know.
Your kids are awesome.
Thank you.
They're so good.
You had two minutes of them.
Yeah, sorry, yeah.
They're brilliant.
They're brilliant.
They're exhausting, but they are brilliant.
All young people with kids go, oh, your kids great no but you you're you're amazing with them
too I feel like like but but you um but the third one you were like oh yeah classic you're the third
child yeah I'm the third child and I'm the only girl so I guess there was a bit of like independence
there and then we started fostering when I was around eight so that's what I mean by chaotic yeah okay yeah yeah
so at one time we had like maybe three foster kids at the most we had like three foster kids
three of us kids and mum and dad so that's a lot and so mum's like you know tiger Chinese mum so
she's not quiet do you know what I mean so how how old were you when the first foster child came
into the house I was was eight, yeah.
So they were two siblings that were with us for... It was an emergency, so sometimes when you're a foster carer,
kids just come into care and the social services
just need you to take someone instantly that night.
And then that night turned into four years, so I know.
And was your mum... I mean, your mum must have been incredibly busy.
Was your mum and dad cooking? Who was cooking?
Dad doesn't cook.
Okay.
Yeah, mum very much was doing everything.
And what were you eating?
What was a really memorable dish?
Mum, I guess mum does Chinese food,
but she always says she's rubbish
because compared to all her other siblings,
she's not that authentic, I think.
Okay.
Do you know what I mean?
I guess, I don't know.
Would it be authentic to me?
Yeah, it would.
To white people, it'd be authentic,
but to Chinese people, maybe they'd be like
cute, you know
but yeah
it was always like rice and meat
and stir fries and noodles
did you love it?
no, because when you're growing up you don't
you
I don't know, you don't value it and then you go into school
and just think everyone else is cooler
so I went into school with, like, a flask of, like, me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Which, imagine, like, opening that up and, like, cranking the whiff out.
Yeah, yeah.
And then everyone's looking at you with their, like, dainty little cucumber sandwiches.
And you're like, drat, mum, you could have just made me a cucumber sandwich.
So, yeah.
It's so funny, isn't it?
It was about the pulls.
Like, mum used to i
do like a tuna mayo sandwich but you would do them and they were always a bit wet so they were kind of
like stuck by the the and they stunk oh no and you didn't want to be the person that everyone
was talking about their lunchbox i get that i tell you what i went to a soft play birthday
party at the weekend with my son and my friend whose daughter it was she's a brilliant
cook and it was low-key peckham soft play perfect them and she'd done these beautiful looking prawn
mayo sandwiches and i just thought that was for the parents that's great oh yeah i had such respect
yeah that's lovely it was very nice what kind of bread was it it was just like it was a simple
simple like sliced you know, whole meal.
My sandwiches are all right, Jessie.
Yours are amazing.
Mum always gets chosen to do the sandwiches.
Really?
I make good sandwiches.
But back to you and your dinner.
Were you a fussy eater or not?
Were you allowed to be a fussy eater?
No, I don't think you're allowed to be.
No, there's no...
Did you ever have any Jamaican food?
Not so much because Dad was born in the UK.
Dad didn't really cook.
And his parents passed before I was really like grown up.
So I guess that kind of like...
Did he like Chinese food?
He loves Chinese food.
He also ran into a lot of...
He became like gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, all of that.
So it was a good job that he married a Chinese woman
because actually there's not that much of that in Chinese food so when did you I know you've got a peanut allergy
I do yeah yeah when did you discover that I think since I've known it well my oldest brother also
has a peanut allergy so I guess there was precaution but also there's a lot of peanut
and a lot of sesame in Chinese food that's what we thinking. So pretty much every time I go around auntie's house,
also Chinese people don't really,
allergies, health things, that doesn't really compute.
So you're like, auntie, I can't eat that.
And they're like, oh, just eat, eat.
And if you don't eat, it's rude.
So then you just eat and then die on the way home. You're like EpiVan.
Yeah, exactly.
Have you got it with you today?
I don't.
I put my life in your hands.
Oh my God, don't say that
we have done everything yeah no no it's fine i'm quite reckless with it everything that i'm
but any precautions you've taken i'm quite reckless with it it's okay are you yeah i've
got yourself into sticky situations then i have yeah well i just kind of i eat and i can't be
bothered to make a fuss i think it's like being you know
being very British you don't want to always just make a fuss
and say something
I don't think it's making a fuss
I was just on tour actually
who was that with?
Coldplay
apparently their catering is superb
it's superb
but then the after show
and he does an after show every bloody night what after show And he does an after show Every bloody night
Mental
What do you mean
He does an after show
Chris Martin likes to decompress
By having an after show
Where he puts on like
A full do
Every night
What do you mean a full do
That's like a whole job role
What do you mean a party
Griff you need to expand on this
Yeah well you must have
You must throw a good after show
Every now and again
Never
She wants to go home to bed
This is This is every night.
I went to a Coldplay after party in Buenos Aires.
Oh, nice.
And it was incredibly generous, glamorous, gorgeous.
Tell me about...
I mean, it was always different.
What, do they do a party every year?
Yeah, so usually a fab hotel or a fab venue.
I think that's great.
It is great.
And then all guest lists or whatever will come down
and all the crew and team are there.
It's every night.
And also they do, at minimum,
probably do about 1,000 shows in each place.
So it's a consistent party.
What about all the outfits you need?
Oh, by that point you just...
You're wearing your jeans or a track of bottoms.
Yeah, exactly.
So touring, I mean, it's kind of mad, Griff,
because you've been in basically every stadium, arena.
It must have really...
In Europe, yeah.
Yeah, but that's...
Yeah, mad.
That must have been very great training
to kind of be playing to audiences
that weren't necessarily there for you and you have to
not win them over because they're quite generous yeah i mean sometimes they're not you can't
guarantee what kind of crowd you're gonna have so you have had really full-on throwing in the deep
end but masterfully doing it because you know you you're a great performer i mean yeah it's like it was straight
boot camp especially coming out of covid that was really it was really yeah right never really done
much shows never toured before and then bam go on tour with duly for three months i'm 23 now
no i know i have such a funny thing because you successful. No, but you know what it's like.
No, I don't.
I'm 39, babe.
No, but do you know what I mean?
I'm a bloody 39.
I don't know.
Like female pop.
It just is such a weird thing.
I don't know.
I don't know if I've made it for myself, but I hate my age.
Why?
My birthday.
I hate it.
Why?
Because I don't know.
I think I've got a weird thing where it's like
the older you get the the less impressive oh no i don't sorry i know i'm really digging the hole
for myself no no no you're right it's funny isn't it because yeah you as and i've talked about this
many times but you as a woman in music you kind of think there's a shelf life. I'm here flying the flag
for us geriatric pop stars.
Don't worry, you'll be okay.
No, no, no.
I walked in and I was so inspired.
When you said the ages of your kids,
I thought, how the hell have you not stopped?
This is so nice.
Thank you.
Because honestly, you do sit there
and you go,
is anyone actually doing this?
Is anyone actually doing motherhood
and marriage and actual life?
You can do it.
Alongside it all.
Just look at Sophie Ellis-Bexter. Applause to you so yeah i'm so happy you know she's got five children
really yes no way she has five children her oldest has left home baby yeah and then she's
got like the eight-year-old in like sydney with her at mardi gras this week i mean she and she
during lockdown she did this kitchen disco
you probably don't remember Murder on the Dance floor
the first time do you?
no of course not
she wasn't born probably
no but also I had a very sheltered upbringing
so my music knowledge kind of
doesn't go past Taylor Swift
really?
so what were you listening to
as a family?
tell me
well I think the combination of like,
Chinese immigrant mother doesn't really care about pop culture.
Jamaican dad really loves music, but also very Christian.
So then relationship with secular music was a bit strange.
So we had like a few CDs.
We had like Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson.
So a lot of like soul R&B.
But then that was it.
So like, it's only as I grow up and I'm like learning,
oh, Fleetwood Mac or David Bowie or like,
there's this whole other world of stuff that I have no concept of.
Is that quite exciting as somebody who is, you know, making an album or,
you know, and that you are still, there's so much more that you can because I feel like you
have such a confident sound as an artist and you know and I think that's um and I was saying before
in the intro I remember when you performed at the Brits it was that weird COVID Brits
but you smacked it and like it was you were amazing and like you've got such an identity
smacked it and like it was you were amazing and like you've got such an identity but that's that was three years ago she was 19 now she's listened to bowie and stuff no no i've really like expanded
my horizons now do you play an instrument was your mum keen on learning music properly yeah
she was she was stereotypically keen on that I didn't really conform to that very well.
My cousins were very stereotypical, like six years old and could pick up the violin and they were ridiculous.
So did you play anything?
I played piano and guitar, but not amazingly.
But was it always the voice that was kind of the thing?
Yeah, I really liked playing piano
and mum wanted me to be really good at classical and do grades,
but I think once I realised I could play chords and sing with them,
I really wasn't asked about getting better, about upskilling.
I was like, well, I can sing now, and I can write some songs now.
So that's all.
So when did you move out of the family abode?
Guys, it's only just happened, really.
She just moved.
It happened this summer.
How are you feeling?
I'm getting there.
Just when I feel settled in, then I leave town for a bit and then come back um everything's still
temporary we've still got like facebook marketplace furniture because i can't commit to spending loads
of money on things um i'm paying bills i'm cooking it's it's happening what's what's that thing that's
left in your fridge when you've
gone on tour and you're like oh god i shouldn't oh yeah yeah um well there's always an old onion
isn't there yeah um and like maybe a crusty spring onion just it's a family of veg there
um maybe some yogurt okay definitely need to start bidding that before i leave
yeah um and then maybe like mum's kimchi. Oh, did she make good kimchi?
Yeah, she started making kimchi.
Yeah, it's really good.
What's the thing that you can't live without
apart from your mum's kimchi?
Oh, food-wise.
Oh, that's such a good question.
Probably rice.
Rice?
Yeah.
We're having some rice tonight.
Oh, that's great news.
Okay, good.
Yeah, I feel like if I've got a big bag of rice
and there's some meat in the freezer,'m not too stranded I'm again I need to know
well we're going to ask you about your last supper but you've been prepped by the darling
Kirsty because Kirsty used to work on table no I know so she literally make sure you think about it
yeah um I really offended people with um well I now that i think about it i'm just gonna put it
out there my i i hope you changed it i i i said my last supper a couple of weeks ago oh yeah and
it's how i felt at the time yeah and people have been very uh startled and offended recap it was a
baby green emoji with four no it was a baby taste with four different corners that had different
toppings plus some other things that's crazy i'm just gonna let you know yeah to all the listeners
that are looking and listening that um i've changed my mind because i actually now believe
that the last supper is probably the stupidest question we could ever ask anybody however we're
gonna keep it in the format you're quite actually based upon podcast on that. I agree, but it is, it's, it will be a different thing today.
It is a lot of commitment.
It is a lot of commitment.
So now I'm just going to say what would be your last supper that you're feeling at the moment,
because I'm telling you, I've changed my mind over the baked potato already.
I'm very fickle.
I have been worried about it all weekend.
Have you been thinking?
I was out with my girlfriends yesterday, I was like, what would yours be?
Give me some inspiration, because it just changes.
Did they throw anything in there that was a curveball?
No, they didn't inspire me, if I'm honest.
But, okay, is it time for me to talk about my last supper?
Do you think it's time, Griff?
I can talk about my last supper.
Are you ready?
Yeah.
Have a little glug of that.
Yeah, thank you.
Okay, my last supper.
Now, again, I'm indecisive.
So I think my starter, was in in between like sushi or
like some mini burgers oh like sliders well I just really like a burger but I didn't want to
commit to it as my main so I thought maybe if I make it make it small yeah it can maybe be my
starter a slider is like a staple on the Chris Martin after party because I kind of feel I don't know it is I'd love a slider
there's never a time where I'm not
in the mood for a burger
but yeah it's too much to have as a starter
so if we make it slider size
so sushi and a slider
no no no I'll commit to the slider burgers
which sushi would you choose
I would have like a sushi rock
also the allergy is a bit tricky with sushi, so I have to keep it basic.
So which one?
I would have like kind of like a macchi roll with maybe some spicy tuna in the middle.
Oh, nice.
Yeah.
Oh, your face looks a bit terrified.
No, no, no.
I'm not terrified.
Are you a sushi fan or no?
Not big times.
Not big on it.
I think it's a millennial thing.
Yeah, I think you're right.
And I think even
children like it now don't they really yeah jesse do you give your kids sushi what classy
no my kids are not sushi fans yet yet maybe they will be so go on sushi or but no i'll commit to
like like little mini burgers for my starter do you put pickle on them or mini bags because
she doesn't want to be full up.
Or do we have loopholes where I don't get full?
You don't get full.
You could have a whole day of it.
I don't think there's nothing...
There is something nice about a bite-sized burger, though.
Yeah, yeah.
Are you having all the toppings?
Yeah, I'll have some gherkins.
I'll have some onion relish.
Cheese.
Can I suggest something to you, please?
The greatest gift that M&S has ever given to any of us.
Oh, it's the best burger sauce.
It's the burger sauce.
Really?
Yeah, it's delicious.
Interesting.
It's unbelievable.
Really?
I'm going to have to betray Morrison's and go over to M&S.
I do love Morrison's though.
Yeah, yeah, Morrison's is a good time.
It's good for fish as well.
Yeah.
Yeah, very.
Okay, so carry on.
So I think maybe, yeah, that for starter.
And then for main, i think it's got
to be a home-cooked meal from mum and she does a good like uh caramelized pork belly like vietnamese
pork belly yeah it's kind of like i don't know what she does she's taught me through a million
times and i don't know it's like onions and sugar caramelized and then you put in the pork belly
really fatty and then i think you fill it up with stock or something and then you put like fish sauce and stuff it's really nice
yeah so that's just like nostalgic would you have like a side with that oh god i didn't rice
right yeah all right yeah rice with that and then veggies not bothered not bothered actually no no keep it hearty what are we drinking griff
oh um you can change it per per course if you'd like oh that's so kind all right okay all right
uh maybe i would start with no no i would stick on maybe like a red wine throughout
really yeah that's crazy i don't think that's good peri. Like, no one judged my palate right now, but...
Well, drink up with that
and then I'll get you on the red.
No, no, no.
I'm in the middle of the white at the moment.
Really?
Oh, my God, thanks.
This is my favourite.
Griff, do you want to help us out?
Yeah, I won't be shy.
Here.
And what would your sweet thing be?
I was thinking about this, because I'm a sweet person, it's hard to choose.
I really like, I'm like a fruity dessert kind of girl.
Okay.
So like an eaten mess.
Okay.
Or like an apple tart. You should have said. I think an eaten mess. Okay. Or like an apple tart.
You should have said.
I think an eaten mess is quite good.
Eaten mess is good.
I don't know,
you don't seem impressed by that.
No, I think it's quite,
it's nice,
it hits the spot,
doesn't it?
I do find myself,
you can make it very easily.
Exactly, yeah.
We have,
I hope it's okay,
do you drink coffee?
Yeah.
Okay, we've got tiramisu.
Oh, good. Do you know what tiramisu is?
Like runners up. Okay, great.
When you said fruity, I was like, oh shit.
Abort, abort mission. No, no, no.
Please have to, so these
chicken breasts you have to cut in half.
Why? For the recipe.
You slice them, yeah, so I think
so it cooks easier.
Thanks mum, that was great. Thank you so much.
Okay, so New York Times said this was their most loved thing.
Let's check.
What do you think?
I mean, it's yummy, but yeah.
It's yummy.
It's got creamy.
What's there not to like?
So you've travelled everywhere.
Where's been your favourite spot for kind of new culinary delights,
apart from the Coldplay catering?
That's actually it, though.
What's tricky is that when you're on these big tours,
you're not exactly in, like, the heart of the city.
You're in the equivalent of, like, the O2 to London or to Southwark.
Do you know what I mean?
So you don't get actually to be that adventurous as you'd think.
I'm trying to remember
where was good
do you like exploring
the cities
or do you kind of
I do yeah
my band are terrible
at it
so I just go at it alone
you've got to
yeah
so usually we'll find
like a botanical garden
a coffee shop
and then a good
like wine or dinner spot
I remember
Bologna being good
really
yeah because it's Italy.
It was great.
Where else was nice?
On the whole plate tour, where did we do that was random?
Coimbra, which is in Portugal.
But I find the more random the place,
usually the more authentic the food,
because it's not trying to be touristy.
It's just trying to be actual family hearty food.
This is delicious.
Thank you.
Is it?
It's very comforting. It's so nice, yeah. I don't know this. It doesn't knock mey food this is delicious thank you is it it's very
comforting it's so nice yeah i don't know this doesn't how did you make it
so you slice the chicken and you put it in flour yeah and you fry off the chicken in butter and
olive oil yeah then you put garlic yeah um It doesn't taste very garlicy.
That's good.
There's four cloves of garlic.
All right.
Garlic, tomato paste, and some Aleppo pepper I put in.
I don't think that tastes very strong.
And then I put some chicken stock in.
Cream.
Cream.
And parmesan cheese.
And sun-dried tomatoes.
And sun-dried tomatoes at the end, yeah.
So we've got the pud, which is going to be an apple tart.
Did you say an apple tart?
No.
I've just been ripping, to be honest.
I said eat and mess.
Griff riffs.
Yeah.
Eat and mess, yeah.
Eat and mess.
And you have red wine all throughout.
What's your cocky tea of choice your
cocktail um that's a great question you're very kind griff no it is because pretty basic no it's
not no it is no because it's like it depends you know at the end of the night it's an espresso
martini just are you mad at the end of the night well no so not at the end of the night at the end
of a dinner because you're about to begin the night. Do you see what I mean?
Okay.
Or if you're just trying to sustain a good level, it's just like a spicy marg.
But recently, I'm trying to really grow up and get into gin martinis with a twist.
I would just sack all the gin martini.
I'd go vodka martini.
Oh, really?
I just realised when she started touring, she probably couldn't drink in half the American stage.
No, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It was tragic.
I know.
But I just came back from America, so that was...
Were you on the tour?
Were you supporting?
What were you doing?
I was...
Well, I did, like, a long promo trip,
so I did, like, a bit of Asia,
so Singapore and Hong Kong and then Australia,
and then I just did some little underplays in LA and New York
just to kind of
how did they go yeah I think good I mean they were sold out it was nice they're good crowds
yeah the states are great yeah where is your beautiful plait oh I know I'm sorry I didn't
put my plait for you today oh for god's sake she looks fabulous you make your own clothes you make
your own backdrops I see she bought that dress for a dollar.
In a dollar store.
You're very stylish.
Oh, thank you.
I don't know if my mum would say that.
I would look Amish in that.
Yeah, I don't know if I am stylish.
I think I just buy cheap things and then convince myself it looks good.
No, that looks great.
That collar's fab.
Thank you.
You look fab.
It's quite Simone.
Quite Simone or quite Miss Doubtfire.
Do you like fashion?
Yeah, I love it.
Yeah, well, I studied textiles in school, so...
Right.
I enjoy making things, which is fun.
When do you find the time to make something, though?
I mean, yeah, I run out of time these days, but...
Have you got a sewing machine?
Yeah.
Do you have it on tour?
Kind of, yeah.
I mean, I bought one recently.
I got really excited in Hong Kong, bought loads of fabrics,
and then had to buy a sewing machine
and then didn't find the time to make anything.
What are you intending on making?
I quite like making things that I would wear,
so, like, dresses or skirts I find good and easy.
And what kind of dress is, like, an easy entry-level sewing dress?
Probably something like this.
That's quite simple to do.
No, but because it's baggy,
you don't have to worry about it fitting like a glove.
And when you rely on pleats,
the look is about excess fabric.
Mm-hmm.
You know?
That's if you're not excess, to be honest.
Yeah.
Maybe.
Speaking from as a small little Asian lady.
You're an Asian lady, yeah.
So, yeah, like a pleated skirt is quite,
is like a good place to start
because then you just like run it through,
gather all the fabric,
then you have some kind of poof.
Would you like to have your own brand in the future?
I think I would.
I don't like, I'm not like dying for it. I could see myself doing it, but I don't like... I'm not, like, dying for it.
I could see myself doing it,
but I don't want to do it until I feel like I've mastered one thing, you know?
Where does the name Griff come from?
Sarah Griffiths.
Oh, so you're Sarah?
I'm Sarah. Yeah, call me Sarah. Yeah.
Oh, I thought you knew that, yeah.
Yeah, so you can call me Sarah.
But my mum always called my dad Griff growing up.
Yeah, so I've really taken his name, to be honest.
I want to know.
Taylor Swift, has she ever cooked for you?
No, no, no.
So we've probably met in total two times, really.
I remember, though.
She was, like, crazy about you at the Brits.
That night was amazing, yeah.
That was, like, a big night.
That was a huge night, yeah.
She won a big award, like, legend award. She won a big award, like legend award.
She won a big award.
You won an award.
I won an award.
You looked fabulous.
Oh, thank you.
Were you in your own outfit or Simone Rocha?
I did three looks that night.
Yes?
That night.
What?
What?
What?
Yeah.
Is Simone Rocha your...
My fave, yeah.
Yeah.
You really suit her.
If in doubt, Simone Rocha for me.
Oh my God, she's the best.
But I did...
What did I do?
I did a designer called Susan Fang for the red carpet,
which was this big crown,
and then I wore my own,
something I'd made for the performance,
and then I did Simone Rocha for the after.
And the plait.
And the plait.
Where do you like to eat,
now that you're living in London?
You're basically living your best Carrie Bradshaw life.
I'm trying, yeah.
Do you know who Carrie Bradshaw is?
I do, yeah.
Okay, thanks.
Although, no, I've only watched,
do you know what? Oh my God!
My first time... Well, I wasn't really allowed to watch it
growing up because it was naughty. Fair enough.
Do you know what I mean? The word sex was in the title.
It was like mental. Yeah.
So I always thought it was like porn.
And then... Well, it's a love book.
You gave it a good shot. I watched it like last year
on the play, but I watched the second one and it was the one
where they went to the Middle East. Oh no, babe. I don't know how that on the play, but I watched the second one and it was the one where they went to the Middle East.
Oh no, babe.
No, no, no, no.
I don't know how that's allowed.
No, no.
Don't watch the film.
That is not your entry point.
This is a terrible second movie.
I don't know how that was allowed.
Don't watch the film.
I was watching it with my jaw on the floor.
No, no, no.
Like how has that been allowed?
That is so wild.
No, you must return to the series.
I see, I see.
You must disregard the second movie of Sex and the City.
I see.
We all have.
That's the only one I've seen.
Oh, babe.
Well, I have to say, I went to see Plaza Suite with her in it at the moment.
Sarah Jessica Parker.
And I loved every minute of it.
I thought it was fabulous.
And I think she's a really clever comedic actress.
I really like her.
And I loved her husband.
I mean, you must get through so many box sets.
Doing all that flying. What do you do on the plane? actress i really like and i loved her husband i mean you must get through so many box sets doing
all that flying what do you do on on the plane are you are you a box set gal are you an airplane
food girl what do you do uh i don't eat plane on the plane on the food food on the plane
okay because of your allergy no i just it just never sits well it never sits well do you love
it that's crazy miniature it is you know i'm
unpacking it i can't do it it's like i'm trying to sleep you get interrupted every 15 minutes
you want a wine you want to drink you want a cheese i wish i was that girl and then people
think she's so thin she doesn't yeah so did you bring your own snacks yeah oh well i'm asleep i
can sleep anywhere really yeah you used to be like that, darling.
You're like a doctor or an air steward-ess.
You can sleep anywhere.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I can sleep anywhere on anything, yeah.
Yeah.
So usually I'm just like trying to sleep
and then they're like, do you want some dinner?
Because you're usually doing promo when you get off the plane.
Yeah, exactly.
Or I'm just lazy.
Do you have a glass of wine on the plane?
Yeah, so I usually back a wine and then, you know off the plane. Yeah, exactly. Or I'm just lazy. Do you have a glass of wine on the table? Yeah, so I usually back a wine and then go, you know, knock off.
Griff, I love this.
You are serving up.
Yeah, I'm going for it.
No, I'm not going to have that whole strip.
I was deciding whether to third it or to half.
I'm going to third it.
Third it, I think, yeah.
It's quite a creamy meal, isn't it, Mum?
Delicious.
It's my favourite kind of meal, I think.
Whose recipe is this, Mum?
I don't know.
Dig, eat.
It's half and half.
Oh, that's good alcohol in there.
Oh, that's lovely.
Is it nice?
That's really good, Mum.
Is it?
How do you have your eggs in the morning?
Omelette, recently.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Mainly because it feels like a challenge.
Are you a good cook?
I'm a learning cook.
I'm figuring it out.
I guess you've just moved out of home
and you've been on tour for the whole time.
Yeah, exactly.
So I'd say, like, in my head I'm a good cook.
I just need to put it into practice a little bit.
Can you taste the alcohol?
yes
I can't
it's been a long weekend
I could eat about five of these
so you've moved out
of Hertfordshire
you're living in London
have you got any spots that you really like to eat
have you got any local spots that you love
um
I'm the worst
food podcast guest ever i don't really know to be fair we were just talking about le trompe
that was really nice and gorgeous yeah because i've just moved to west um but i'm a girl of
convenience so i'll just go to the local pub are you a pub girl yeah Yeah, go on then. You went to the pub before you came here.
I did, I did.
Which I really liked.
Have you been to the Bolo?
No, where's that?
I think it's on Bolo Lane.
Oh, okay.
Oh, I need to go to that.
Yeah.
There's also a good amount on the river,
like from Hammersmith.
Is everyone all right with this?
This is so nice.
So you're only the hottest record
of the world year, month, whatever.
Last ten minutes. Last week, congratulations week congratulations thank you how does it feel uh feels great yeah it's me too it's like we've
like taken up the energy a little bit which is exciting did you who did you work with on it
um so i work with my favorites lost boy and seba who i wrote black car with lost boy did padam
yeah you just want a grammy for it. You just won a Grammy for it.
I know.
I'm so happy for him.
So you've done this.
Yeah.
And people are loving it.
I hope so.
I hope people enjoy it.
And yeah, we've done a music video.
First choreo video, girls.
Could you dance?
Did you get involved in the choreography?
Well, I got involved.
Can I dance?
I mean, you can make the judgment for yourself.
But yeah, 26 dancers.
We went all in.
Yeah.
How did that feel? Did you feel like, oh my God, I'm a pop star? I'm for yourself, but yeah, 26 dancers, we went all in. How did that feel?
Did you feel like, oh my God, I'm a pop star?
No, no, it feels like,
because the thing is,
there's so many dance videos out in the world,
you just don't want to do a bad one.
Do you know what I mean?
So, I mean, what's happening?
This is an EP.
Yeah, so I'm essentially like,
I just, I'm trying to figure out
how to drop music at the moment,
and I just want to drop them in parts. So did volume one last year that was first go volume one and
volume two to me is like it's still part of the same world but it's like an energy step up and
um yeah it's a collection of songs do you feel like you needed that or wanted that energy step
up from performing live and seeing reactions like feeling like you wanted that energy for live or is it just
for that's where you yeah I think it was maybe a subconscious thing that happened in the studio
like after I think after you've been on so many huge tours you do witness songs on like a huge
euphoric level and I think I probably subconsciously took that back into the studio so
um yeah I'm excited to play all these songs live. Because also I actually haven't done that many headline shows for myself.
So when's your headline show?
Is it the Roundhouse?
Oh, my gosh, you're great at plugging me, Lenny.
Thank you.
Yeah, Roundhouse is happening.
The tour starts in Stockholm on the 10th of March.
It's sold out, apart from Bournemouth.
Apart from Bournemouth, yeah.
And you're doing brilliantly, and I can't wait to dance with you at the Brits. Thank you. I can't wait either. from Bournemouth, yeah. And you're doing brilliantly,
and I can't wait to dance with you at the Brits.
Thank you.
I can't wait either.
Thanks for having me, ladies.
Thank you.
This is amazing.
You're a delight.
Oh, stop.
You're a superstar.
You say that to everyone.
No, I don't.
And also, I have to say,
I haven't seen a pop star interact with my children
like you did.
Really?
Since Cheryl.
Cheryl!
So that's all I'm going to say.
She was like a Disney princess. You were like a Disney princess. I'll take it. like you did really since Cheryl Cheryl so that's all I'm going to say sweet Cheryl
she was like a Disney princess
you were like a Disney princess
yeah
I'll take it
they're great
they're legends
you're regal
yeah
so yeah
very very excited
for you Griff
thank you
and thanks for being on the pod
thanks for dinner
this was lovely
pleasure darling Well, Griff is a delight.
A delight.
So pleased to have met her, Jessie.
Gorgeous.
Just lovely.
Shame she didn't have a platter, but never mind.
It's not a platter, Mum.
What is it?
It's a bubble...
It's like a bubble braid.
Yeah, but she looks gorgeous.
But she's such a beautiful girl.
She's really good fun.
She stocked my next dinner party with bottles of wine.
Delicious.
And delights.
So, appreciated, Griff.
Yeah.
I loved her outfit.
She's a little star, isn't she?
I loved her outfit, that collar. She's fab. Yeah. I loved her outfit. She's a little star, isn't she? Yeah, I loved her outfit, that collar.
She's fab. Yeah.
She's really talented.
And she's not even got an album out yet
and she's going on tour. I know. Mega star.
Thank you so much to Griff for coming
on. Her new single and video, Miss
Me Too, is out now. She's got a global
tour. She is smacking it.
Did you feel a bit old, Jess? I feel
a bit like I've eaten too much cream, Mum.
And I never thought I'd say the day.
Okay.
I actually think I'm going to pop a lactose.
But is it too late?
What's a lactose?
What's a lactose?
It's like to help you with digesting cream
or like it's when you have a lactose intolerance.
But I don't...
Okay.
Is that too much information?
Yeah, I think we don't want to know about that, darling.
Would you have married me after the chicken?
No. I don't think I would have darling. Would you have married me after the chicken? No.
I don't think I would have.
I thought it was really tasty,
but I would be divorcing
you now. A bit stroganoff-y.
No, I just followed the recipe.
No, it was nice. I think it was
cream on cream with the tiramisu that really
put the nail in the coffin. She did have
three helpings, so I think that was alright.
Thank you to Griff, and we will see you
next week on Table Mice.
I'm on food duty I think.
The next two weeks darling.
No problem. Thank you.